Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maasin City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maasin City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $743 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,135 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,527 in Maasin City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 126% more expensive than in Maasin City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Maasin City is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.03 ₱190

164.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$23.37 ₱1,468

104.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.00 ₱251

147.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.57 ₱161

21.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.59 ₱36.98

223.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.50 ₱31.16

202.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.72 ₱108

81.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.20 ₱138

161.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.99 ₱125

-27.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.10 ₱69.3

126.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.91 ₱57.0

94.51%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.95 ₱123

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$9.99 ₱628

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.43 ₱278

128.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.48 ₱470

91.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.62 ₱102

155.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$0.62 ₱38.96

159.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.60 ₱101

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.54 ₱96.6

46.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.37 ₱149

-13.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.94 ₱122

-20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.23 ₱77.3

-4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.64 ₱40.19

104.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.91 ₱183

34.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$6.08 ₱382

130.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.27 ₱80.0

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.74 ₱109

64.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.29 ₱17.92

320.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$12.01 ₱754

570.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.78 ₱48.93

67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.22 ₱13.84

895.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$1.95 ₱122

346.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.26 ₱79.0

8.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

29.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

85.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$177 COP 562.9K

$122 ₱7,694

44.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$14.86 ₱934

-6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$27.25 ₱1,712

9.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$28.89 ₱1,815

55.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.12 ₱259

315.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.65 ₱355

17.70%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$813 COP 2.6M

$131 ₱8,218

521.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$8,110 ₱509.5K

13.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$31.56 ₱1,983

183.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$19.48 ₱1,224

202.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$75.8 ₱4,765

82.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$54.8 ₱3,440

86.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$269 ₱16.9K

294.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$165 ₱10.4K

300.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$529 ₱33.2K

257.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$312 ₱19.6K

229.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,421 ₱152.1K

72.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,037 ₱65.1K

61.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$128 ₱8,056

428.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.2

51.94%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $269 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 429% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $188 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Maasin City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 429% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $269 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $743 in Maasin City versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maasin City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.